After half a dozen tornadoes hit Southern states over the past two days, the threat lingers for weekend truckers.
Tornadoes moved through Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday, followed by one in northeastern Tennessee on Thursday. Most of the twisters damaged homes and other structures, according to National Weather Service (NWS) reports. So far, no injuries or fatalities have been reported. NWS meteorologists will likely survey the damage in Tennessee on Friday.
The system triggering the storms will stall across the South, keeping chances for more tornadoes alive from eastern Texas to the Gulf Coast, Georgia, the Tennessee Valley and southern Missouri. This includes Tulsa, Oklahoma; Dallas-Fort Worth; all of Arkansas; most of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle; Memphis, Tennessee; as well as Atlanta and Macon, Georgia.
The risk will be higher Friday than Saturday, but that doesn’t mean drivers should let their guard down. Along with tornadoes, storms could produce severe crosswinds exceeding 60 mph in some areas, in addition to large hail.
Thunderstorm winds Wednesday toppled a driver’s trailer in northern Arkansas. Hail from golf ball to baseball size Thursday slammed parts of eastern Texas.
Rain will be torrential at times, quickly reducing visibility and possibly causing flash flooding. So, there’s always potential for ramp and road closures.
By Sunday, the tornado risk across the South will be slim to none. Any severe storms should be isolated, mainly from portions of Florida to the mid-Atlantic.
Other notable weekend weather
Drivers will hit snowy weather in the Washington Cascades from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for places like Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass and the city of Cle Elum. Total snowfall of 6 to 12 inches is likely, with gusty winds and blowing snow in some spots.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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